Using the main-x channel

main-x is a new, Anaconda-hosted authenticated channel that provides thousands of additional conda packages built by Anaconda for users who have a registered account. It is designed to be used alongside Anaconda’s main channel, not replace it. In other words, main-x “extends” main.

Setting up main-x

If you are using Package Security Manager (On-prem), follow the separate access instructions below.

Before you begin

You need conda, the Anaconda CLI, and an Anaconda account.

Open Anaconda Prompt (Terminal on macOS/Linux), then install anaconda-auth:

conda install --name base anaconda-auth

This lets conda sign in to main-x for you.

The examples below show the standard channel addresses. With some paid subscriptions, the addresses for main, msys2, and r start with https://repo.anaconda.cloud/repo/ instead. That’s expected, so don’t change them.

Set up using Anaconda CLI

Enable the main-x channel

1. Log in to your Anaconda account:

   ana login
   

2. Enable the main-x channel:

   ana feature enable main-x
   

   This adds main-x to the channels conda uses by default.

Verify the channel is working

1. Confirm that your default channels are configured:

   conda config --show default_channels
   

   Your return should look similar to this:

   default_channels:
     - https://repo.anaconda.com/pkgs/main
     - https://repo.anaconda.cloud/repo/main-x
     - https://repo.anaconda.com/pkgs/msys2
     - https://repo.anaconda.com/pkgs/r
   

2. Install a package from main-x to confirm everything is working:

   Browse packages on main-x at https://anaconda.org/channels/main-x.

   conda install <PACKAGE_NAME>
   

For more information, see Anaconda CLI features.

Set up using conda

Configuration

1. Log in to your Anaconda account:

   ana login
   

2. Complete the sign-in process using the browser window that opens. Once signed in, close your browser tab and return to your terminal.

3. Open your .condarc file in a text editor and add the following lines:

   channels:
     - defaults
   default_channels:
     - https://repo.anaconda.com/pkgs/main
     - https://repo.anaconda.cloud/repo/main-x
     - https://repo.anaconda.com/pkgs/msys2
     - https://repo.anaconda.com/pkgs/r
   

   If the file already has a channels: or default_channels: section, add the missing lines to that section instead of creating a second one. Leave your other settings as they are.

   Include main and the other channels shown, not just main-x. If default_channels lists only main-x, conda can’t find packages from main, and many installs will fail.

Verify the channel is working

1. Save the file, then check your channel settings:

   conda config --show channels default_channels
   

   You should see something like this:

   channels:
     - defaults
   default_channels:
     - https://repo.anaconda.com/pkgs/main
     - https://repo.anaconda.cloud/repo/main-x
     - https://repo.anaconda.com/pkgs/msys2
     - https://repo.anaconda.com/pkgs/r
   

2. Install a package from main-x to confirm everything is working:

   Browse packages on main-x at https://anaconda.org/channels/main-x.

   conda install <PACKAGE_NAME>
   

Accessing main-x for Package Security Manager (On-prem)

Ask your administrator to mirror https://repo.anaconda.cloud/repo/main-x into your Package Security Manager instance to provide access to main-x for your organization.

Add the mirrored channel to the default_channels: section of your .condarc file, alongside your organization’s other channels. Don’t remove existing entries, such as your organization’s mirror of main, as main-x packages often need packages from main. Use only channels from your Package Security Manager instance, not the public channel addresses shown elsewhere on this page. If your file has no default_channels: section, ask your administrator which channels to list.

The mirrored channel’s address looks like this:

https://<FQDN>/api/repo/<CHANNEL_NAME>

If you have a channel alias set for your Package Security Manager instance, you can use just the channel name instead of the full URL in your default_channels list. For more information, see Using conda with Package Security Manager.

Known limitations

• main-x includes thousands of packages (pure Python only) that extend what’s available in the main channel. main-x does not include every package in the PyPI or conda-forge catalog.
• Service accounts for accessing the main-x channel are not available. Customers needing non-interactive auth for pipelines can refer to our API Keys and tokens page for guidance on how to use those options with main-x.
• Some packages exist in both the main-x and main channels. Users with channel_priority: strict might encounter a problem where conda will not install a preferred package from main-x if the same package exists in a higher-priority channel. Users with channel_priority: flexible (the default) might also be affected if the order of their channels doesn’t reflect their preferred priority. See Troubleshooting if you experience this.

Support

Package requests

If you need a package that is not in main-x, create a post on Anaconda’s Feedback page on the Packages board. Include the following:

• The package name and version you need
• Your operating system and platform (for example, Windows 11, macOS Sonoma on Apple Silicon, Ubuntu 22.04)
• (Optional) A description of your use case

Technical support

For issues, bugs, or questions about main-x, submit a support request. Include the following:

• A description of the issue or question
• The command(s) you ran and the full error message (if applicable)
• Your operating system and platform
• Your conda version

How do I find my conda version?

Open Anaconda Prompt (Terminal on macOS/Linux) and run the following:

conda --version

Our support team will triage your request and send it to the appropriate team.

If the problem is with the Anaconda CLI itself, you can also report it by running:

ana self feedback

This opens a page in your browser where you can report a bug or request a feature for the Anaconda CLI.

Troubleshooting